LONDONDERRY, Vt. (WCAX) – Magic Mountain is a relatively smaller ski resort, so it’s only open to the public Thursday-Sunday during the winter months. That is, unless you rent out the entire place, like a construction company from Massachusetts did on Wednesday.
The lift lines at Magic Mountain are manageable even on a busy day. But the lack of crowds is taken to new heights when you rent out the entire mountain.
Blue skies, great views, empty chairs, and good company– that was the vibe at Magic Mountain Wednesday.
“It’s like a dream. Oh, we are going to go have a mountain to ourselves, hang out, get some food down at the lodge, have some drinks, get out, rip up the slopes,” said David Peragallo of Elite Construction.
Elite Construction out of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, rented the entire resort for the day for its employees and connections in the industry.
“I think the longest lift line I’ve had all day is one chair, so what’s that 15 seconds? So, that is pretty nice,” said Cam Brochu of Stoneham, Massachusetts.
Skiing at midday, no one else was in sight on the largely untracked slopes.
“It’s our own little personal playground,” Brochu said.
And no waiting at the Black Line Tavern either, with premiere parking right up front.
“The overall experience is, ‘Oh, my god. We have the whole mountain to ourselves,’” said Kerry Mara of Magic Mountain.
Magic has been renting out the mountain to families and businesses on Mondays and Wednesdays since it was purchased by a group with local ties several years ago. It’s just one way this independent ski resort competes with the giants.
“We had a company out of Boston that had 450 employees and gave the employees everything– food, beverage, lessons, rentals– the whole thing,” Mara said.
Those taking advantage say the surreal experience can have a lasting impact with real-world implications back home.
“It’s a little bit of networking but it is more focused on building the existing relationships that we have,” Peragallo said.
Of course, the question everyone wants answered is how much? Mountain officials declined to give an exact cost, saying the experience is tailored to individual groups’ needs. Anyone interested is asked to call the office at Magic Mountain.